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Russia signs EU convention on fighting counterfeit medical products

For Russia the convention was inked by Health and Social Development Minister Tatyana Golikova

MOSCOW, October 28 (Itar-Tass) —— The Council of Europe’s convention on the struggle with the counterfeiting of medical products was signed in Moscow on Friday. The ceremony took place at a Foreign Ministry reception building in Spiridonovka street.

For Russia the convention was inked by Health and Social Development Minister Tatyana Golikova. Signatures to the document were put by the ambassadors and representatives of Austria, Qatar, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Spain, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland and Ukraine.

"The signing of the convention ends a five-year period from the moment when Russia, as the chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, made proposals for the development of this document,” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. “The main objective of the Convention is to protect people and their health from poor-quality medicines. It makes a concrete and practical contribution to the implementation of the highest of the human rights - the right to life."

"By signing this document, the Council of Europe once again confirms its reputation as a guardian of the legal framework in Europe,” he continued. “The main thing is the Convention is open to other states, not just the members of the Council, and we hope that this will happen."

"This meeting shows how important it is in the present conditions to act on a "unifying" agenda, focusing on the real issues that affect people's lives, and not waste time searching for artificial problems, which are dictated by the old phobias and the stereotypes of the past," said Lavrov.

In turn, Golikova said that "the signing of the Convention in Moscow is the Council of Europe’s confirmation of the work, carried out in Russia to draft this document."

"The Convention sets rules for interstate and interagency cooperation on combating counterfeit medical products,” she said. “I hope that the countries signing the document will effect all appropriate internal procedures for the ratification of the Convention within the tightest deadlines."

The Medicrime convention, adopted in 2010 establishes criminal liability and punishment for all offenses related to the counterfeiting of medical products and similar crimes. Russia made a decision on its accession to the convention during its presidency of the Council of Europe in 2006.